Safety pipe holder



May 20, 1924. 1,494,5ss

R. L. BURNS ET AL SAFETY PIPE HOLDER Filed May 31, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTORS, 20.662715 BZU'IZS,

yred Jill m e'n Harold M SZuyrpe/l R. L. BURNS ET AL SAFETY PIPE HOLJJER Filed May 31. 1923 2 Sheets-Shoe} 2 IN V EN TORS Roierifi. B10903,

fired. 7' 1/712; 5e"; BY i/czrol M Slap well M MATTORNEYS Patented May 20, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT, orrlca.

BDBER'I! nnuans, ram) 1'. WINGER, AND HAROLD m. snarrnnn, or TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETY PIPE HOLDER.

Application filed may 31, 1923. Serial No. 642,517.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we, RoBER'r L. BURNS, FRED F. WINGER, and HAROLD M. SHAP- PELL, citizens of the United States, resid 5 ing at Taft, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented a new and useful Safety Pipe Holder, of which the follow.- in is a specification.

his invention relates to a device or safety holder for catching drill pipe, tubing, etc.,

during th raislng or lowering of the same in a well.

The present customary oilfield practice when inserting or removing drill pipe, casing or tubing from awell is to use either two elevators, or one elevator and a spider and slips. The elevator is'attached to the drill pipe, casing or'tubingand is employed to raise or lower the same. A second elevator 1s sometnnes used so that while the casing,

drill pipe or tubing is held by the first ele-.

' vator, the second elevator may be engaged wlththe tubing to raise or lower the same.

In place of two elevators, one elevator" is sometimes employed and a spider and slips employed to support the pipe in the well .until the traveling elevator may be changed from one position to another on the pipe. Either of these methods require considerable time for operation-and frequently result in with slips adapted to engage drill pipe, casing or tubing, which slips are automatically operated and maybe held in position to at any time catch andhold the pipe, casigg or tub which is being raised or lower as the sips may be readily drop d into position at an time during the owe'ring process to hol theplpe, casing or tub ng,

and prevent the strmg from (lLOPPiIIg IPtO the well, and during the process of raising pipe-from the well, its action is automatic.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety holder which may cooperate with the customary rotary table employed in oilwell drillin and replace the customar hand operated sips to facilitate the ban ling of the drill pipe or well casing and render the handling of such drill pipe or casing more ra id and safe than has heretofore been possi 1e.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety holder with slidable slips which operate in unison and are supported upon an upwardly and outwardly expanded surface during the extent of their" travel so that in anyposition of the slip members,

the same are ade uately supported and adapted to withstan a relatively heavy load.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety holder with a body having an outwardly and upwardly expanding lnner surface with vertically extending slots adjacent the surface so that slip members may be slidably mounted on the expanding surface by means of guides connected to the sli members throu h the slots.

this invention will be apparent from t e des'cription hereinafter contained and will present-themselves in the practice of the in- 'vention. The accompanying'drawings illusarious other ob ects and advanta es of I trate the preferred form or embodiment of j the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on .the line 2-2 of Figure 1 with the lever employedto actuate the slips broken away.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal fragmentary section of the expanding portion of the-body illustrating the slips in the engaging position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the slips in the non-engaging position.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a modified form;

of the invention. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the'pipe holding mechanism employed therewith;

Fig. 7 'is a longitudinal section of the .1... panding ortion of the body showing the i sli in t e engagin position.

ferring first to igures 1. to 4 of the drawings, the safetysliolder shown the form for handling well easing or tubing which safety holder is intended to be inserted or fitted tothe top of a casing previously installed in the well,

In the drawing 1 represents a casing installed in a well (not shown) and 2 indicates a collar secured to the upper end of the casing. The safety holder proper comprises a body 3 having a cylindrical base portion 4 which is threaded as indicated at 5 to fit the collar 2 of the well casing 1. Above the base portion 4, the body 3 is contracted as indicated at 6 and expands outwardly and upwardly therefrom. The upper portion of the body is provided with an inner surf-ace 7 expanding outwardly and upwardly corresponding to the outer surface of the body and said upper portion is provided with a number of vertical ly extending slots 8 which are preferably spaced at equal intervals around the upper portion. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 three of said slots are provided.

-Within the upper portion of the body 3 of the holder are positioned a. number of segmental slip members 9, the outer surface of which are tapered to correspond with the surface v7 of the body 3 and the inner surface of each slip member is provided with upwardly directed arcuate teeth 10, the curvature of the teeth preferably being sub stantially equal to the curvature of the pipe or tubing the safety holder is designed to catch.

Each of said slips is proved with a guide member 11 which may be screwed thereto as indicated at 12. Said members 11 are provided with a section 13 which fits the slots 8 of the body. Said portions 13 are preferably equal in width to the width of the upper expanding portion of the body 3. The guide members 11 are enlarged exterior of the body to define a shoulder 14 which engages the outer surface of the body 3. adjacent the slots 8 to hold the slip members 9 againstthe inner surface 7 of the body so that said slip members may be translated only in the direction parallel to the surface 7 of the body. Said guide menu "naled at their endsto the pins 19 and 16.

To operate the control member 17 an opera ,lever 21 is provided; which lever .21 pivotally supported intermediate its ends on an arm 22. Said operating lever of the body.

wise secured to the base 4 of the body 3.

Referring to Figures 5 to 7 inclusive a form of they invention is illustrated which combines with the customary rotary table employed in drilling wells, a safety holder which may replace the customary slips employed therewith. Referring to the drawings, 3O generallyindicates a rotary table which may be any customary or preferred form, the construction of which tables is well known in the art. Such tables are generally provided with a substantially square opening 31 concentric with the table in which the customary master bush ing is inserted. The safety holder of this modification comprises a body 32 which is provided with a square base 33 complementary insize to the customary square opening 31 of the rotary table 30, and in use said base 33 is inserted into said opening 31 and supports the pipeholder therein.

The upper portion -34 of the body expands outwardly and upwardly with the inner surface 35 expanding in a manner corresponding to the outer surface Said portion 34 is provided with upwardly extending slots 35 spaced equidistant around the upper portion, there being three of such slots in the embodiment shown. Segmental slip members 36 are positioned within the .portion 34 of the body and are provided with outer surfaces 37 tapered corresponding to the inner surface 35 of the body and with their inner surface formed with upwardly directed teeth 38 which are preferably arcuated'to correspond with the pipe or other tubing which is' intended to ,be held by the device.' Said slip members 36 are secured to guide members 39 complementary to the members 11 of the previous form which are secured to a controlling member 40 preferably in a similar manner by links 41. A lever 42 is provided to operate the slips. Said lever is preferably pivotally supported on an arm 43 integral with the base portion 33 of the body.

To facilitate the positioning of. the safety holder within the rotary table when a casing (such as c) is extending therethrough,- the body 32 ofthe holder may be vertically split as'indicated at 44 in' the .draw' in which case the separate portions may fi provided with corresponding lugs 45 through which bolts 46 are passed to maintain the split sec: tions vice.

together during operation of the de- I The safety holders thus described may be used in various operations. The Weight of the control members 17 or 40, slip members 9 or 36 and other parts is sufficient to automatically cause the slip members 9 or 36 to move tothe engaging position. WVhen it is desired to move a pipe or tubing through the holder the free end of the operating lever 21 is forced downward which moves the control members 17 or 40 upwardly which in turn causes the slip. members 9 or 36 to move upwardly in unison and disengage from the tubing or pipe. Preferably the safety holder is positioned so this operation may be controlled by a foot action. The safety holder is thus in position while the pipe or casing is being lowered or raised therethrough to be instantly engaged with the casing by simply releasing the free end of the lever 21 or 42.

By this invention the employment of manually operated slips and spiders or the employment of two elevators may be elimi n'ated in raising or lowering drill pipe casing or tubing and the casing or tubing more rapidly handled with less hazard than in the customary manner. The slip members being mounted upon upwardly and outwardhaving an upwardly and outwardly expand- .ing inner surface,

slip members slidably mounted on said surface, means for positive- 1y holding said slip members engaging said surface throughout their travel, and means for actuating the slips unison. l

2. A safety holder, comprising a body having an upwardly and outwardly expanding surface and vertically extending slots, slip members slidably mounted on said surface, guide members secured to said slips and slidably fitting said slots, said guide members having shoulders engaging the body retaining the slips against the body during their travel, and means cooperatson to various ing with the guide members to actuate the slips in unison.

3. A safety holder comprising a body having an upwardly and outwardly expanding surface, said body having vertically extending slots, slip members slidably mounted on said surface, and guide members slidably fitting said slots, a control-member for positively holding said slip members engaging'said expanding surface, and links connecting said guide members to said control member, and means for vertically translating said control member.

4. In a safety holder, the combination with a body having an outwardly and up- Wardly tapered surface, of a plurality of slip members slidably mounted thereon, means connecting the slips, means for positively holding the slips against said surface, and means cooperating with said connecting means to translate said slips in a direction following the angle of taper of the said surface.

5. In a safety holder, the combination of a pivotally mounted lever, a control member secured to said lever, a body, slip members mounted to move upwardly and outwardly on said body, means for positively holding the slip members engaging the body, and links connecting said slips to said control member.

. 6. The combination of a body having an upwardly and outwardly expanding surface, slip members slidably mounted on said surface, means positively retaining said slips against said surface throughout their travel, a control member, links connecting said slips to said control member, and a pivotally mounted lever engaging said control mem her to actuate said slip members.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination of a rotary table, means supported by said table forming an outwardlyand upwardly expanding surface, slip members mounted to slide on said surface, means positively retaining said slip members engaging said surface throughout their travel, means interconnecting said slip members, and means cooperating with said interconnecting means to translate the slips in unipositions on said expanding surface.

Signed at Taft, California, this 18th day of May, 1923.

- ROBERT L. BURNS.

FRED F. WINGER.

HAROLD M. SHAPPELL.

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